http://www.pbs/wgbh/pages/frontline/generation-like/
This documentary on the power of social media is shockingly true. I see the impact of the seemingly powerless "like" on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. It is the "social currency" of our generation. After all, "what you like is broadcast to the world as part of your identity - you are what you "like." Liking" something on social media requires only the click of a button to connect you to other "likers' around the world. Marketers have caught onto this fad and used it to their advantage. Kids become more than just consumers as they continue liking, and therefore, marketing, products. They become unpaid workers to promote brands. This speaks to the issue of "big data." Are companies overstepping their boundaries? Should consumers be compensated if they reach a certain level of promoting a brand/product?
On a personal level, social media buffs often fall into what I like to call the "like trap." Their self esteem fluctuates based on how many like their Facebook profile, Instagram post, Twitter post receive. I know college students who will delete an Instagram post after only a few hours if it doesn't receive an anticipated number of "likes."
"Likes" only go so far. The younger "likers" of Generation Like have been pulled into the rip tide of social media manipulation. Where...and how...do we draw the line?
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